Sound - the most important one for us. ![]() So, our tests cover the following categories: In fact, if a record player can truly claim to be budget, we need to make sure that it passes muster. Find out more about how we review.īudget turntables are subjected to no less rigorous testing than their pricier counterparts. From testing headphones to reviewing albums, our experts aim to create reviews you can trust. You can trust Louder Our experienced team has worked for some of the biggest brands in music. Fully automatic and semi-automatic turntables will lift the needle from the groove at the end, too.įor many people, a little initial tweaking and manual operation are keys to the charm of turntable ownership, and the simplest decks are often the best-sounding. The above means that you only have to press a button for the tonearm to move into place and drop the needle into the groove at the start of the record. Some also have automatic functionality to make things even easier so you can start spinning your collection faster. Setting up a turntable can be a fiddly operation, with components that need fitting and careful adjustment, but some are much simpler than others. How easy is it to set up a budget turntable? Right now, the best phono stage at this end of the market is undoubtedly the Rega Fono Mini A2D. Generally speaking, a phono-less turntable that goes through an external phono stage before getting to the amplifier will sound best, so consider going down that route if you’re serious about audio quality. For some however, like the Rega Planar 1, a phono stage will be an additional cost, but one I reckon is definitely worth the investment. Many turntables – even those in our best budget turntables list – come already packing a built-in phono stage, as do some stereo amplifiers. This is essentially a step-up amplifier – often referred to as phono preamp – that increases the record-player’s tiny output to a level that a standard stereo amplifier can work with. If you’re boarding the vinyl train for the first time, you'll need to familiarise yourself with some key components, and in particular the phono stage. What is a phono preamp and do I need one? For example, will you need Bluetooth functionality or the ability to record via USB? On paper, these features are great to have but there's no point wasting your budget on bells and whistles you are unlikely to use and, truthfully, the tech-iest turntable is almost never the one that sounds the best. It really comes down to what you want to do with your record player. ![]() If it's tech you want, these brands should be top of your list. They haven't produced a bad model in as long as we can remember.Īustrian brand Pro-Ject offers a fantastic range, too, while more mainstream brands like Sony and Audio-Technica are good at marrying true hi-fi audio quality with more modern features such as Bluetooth and USB recording. These days, the most consistent name in turntables, let alone the best budget record players, is arguably UK company Rega. While no company has a perfect record in this area, going with the established and well respected brands, is a good place to start – a turntable is a very specialised, delicate bit of kit, after all, so you want to go with a brand you know you can trust. If you don’t care about sound quality, then a record player probably isn’t for you and you should stick to basic streaming. What should you be looking for when shopping for the best budget turntable? It might sound like an obvious thing to say, but sound quality should be your biggest priority. (Image credit: Pro-Ject) How important is sound quality? When choosing one of the best budget turntables, there are a couple of ways you can turn depending on how much effort you’re prepared to put in to fill your ears with that glorious, analogue audio. Best budget turntables: The Louder Choice We're also updating the best Prime Day vinyl deals and Prime Day music deals on Amazon and beyond. If you're on the lookout for a budget turntable, we have you covered across Prime Day on July 11 & 12 on our Prime Day turntable deals page. It’s also worth pointing out here that some of the most recent models also include USB, and Bluetoooth turntables will give your listening sessions a bit of a tech twist. Take a look at the picks below, which also includes record players from Sony, Rega, Audio Technica and more, so we're sure you'll find something that suits. ![]() These will not only save you a bundle, but they all sound fantastic and are all worth a closer look. That makes sense as we're all having to watch our outgoings a little bit more carefully at the moment, and with some turntables on the market costing a considerable amount, I've decided to turn my attention to picking out some of the best cheap record players around.
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